Cutting mechanism for button-hole sewing-machines



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.) I

J. DOUGLAS.

CUTTING MECHANISM FOR BUTTON HOLE SEWING MACHINES. No. 367,796.

Patented Aug. 9, 1887.

N, PETERS, Photo-Lithographer. Washington, a c

' (Nb Mo'dl.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

- J. DOUGLAS.

CUTTING MEGHANISM FOR BUTTON HOLE SEWING MACHINES. 310,367,796.

Patented Aug. 9, 1887.

N. PETERS, Phokvuxm n iwn Wuhinglon. 0.6.

UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE;

JOHN DOUGLAS, OF ELIZABETH, NEWV JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE SINGER I MANUFACTURING COMPANY OF NEW JERSEY.

CUTTING MECHANISM FOR BUTTON-HOLE SEWING-MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 367,796, dated August 9, 1887.

Application filed Septembrrll. 1856. Serial No. 214,151. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that 1, JOHN DOUGLAS, a'eili- 'zen of the United States, residing at Eliza beth, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cutting Mechanism for Button-Hole Sewing-Machines, of which the following is a specification, reference being bad therein to the accompanying drawings, The object of my invention is to provide a convenient button-hole-cntting device for use with button'hole sewing machines or attachments, the said device being adapted to cut the button-hole, either before or afterit has been worked, while the material is held in the clamp, and without removing the clamp from working position on the machine. To this end I pivotally attach a knife-carrying arm or lever to a plate on which the workelamp is guided, or to a bracket secured to said plate, the knife carried by the said arm being thus at all times in alignment with the center of the button-hole stitching, so that when the work is moved to the proper position longitudinally, as whenthe stitching for a button-hole has been completed, the k nife-' carrying lever may be depressed to cut the button-hole before the work is removed from the clamp. In connection with the cutting lever and the guiding-plate to, which it is attached I provide a throat-plate having a slot of proper length to receive the cnttingknife as the latter is forced do'wnward in cutting, the parts of said plate contiguous to said slot supporting the work against the downward thrust of the knife, so that the latter will make a clean smooth slit.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front end -view of the .Singer overseamingmachine with my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a partial plan view of the bed-plate with the work'clamp and cooperating parts in position. Fig. 3 is a similar View with the work'clamp removed. Fig. 4 is a section on line 4- 4, Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a cross-section of the throat-plate on line 5 5, Fig. 3; and Fig. 6 is a sectional 7 detail of the support. for the cutter-carrying lever. 1 v

A denotes the work-clamp, which is guided to move lengthwise of the button-holes in ways formed in a carrying-plate, B, the latter being in turn fitted to slide longitudinally of itself (or transversely of the button-holes) in ways in or on the machine bed-plate C, the sliding movement of the said plate B being for 5 the purpose of shipping over the work to bring the second side of the button-hole beneath the needle after the first side thereof has been stitched.

In the machine to which I have shown my 6 invention as being applied the needle (I and needle-bar D are reciprocated horizontally to effect the overseaming or button-hole stitches by mechanism which is or maybe the sameas that shown by Patents Nos. 272,126 and 319,801 to Philip Diehl, and themechanism for imparting the feeding and ship-over movements to the work-clamp is essentially the same as in the said Patent No. 319,801, the connections between the shipper-lever and the carryingplate B being, however, in the machine herein shown beneath the bed-plate instead of above the latter, as in the said Patent No. 319,801. The work-clamp A is provided with a springdepressed pin, a, entering a slot, e, in a plate, E, sliding in ways in the bedplate C.

To the button hole working mechanism above described I have applied my buttonholecutting mechanism, which consists, essentially, ot' the cutter-carrying arm or lever F, the cutter or knifef, and the slotted throatplate G. The lever F is hinged to a bracket, b, secured to the carrying plate B, the said bracket being provided with a stud, b, around which is coiled a spring, 12*, which serves to lift the said lever after it has been depressed and to hold it up, the upward movement of the said lever being limited by a stop, eonsising in the present instance of a stud, h, attached to the head of the overhanging arm.

The knife f is preferably V-shaped or pointed in its center, as shown, and to cutbutton-holes of different sizes interchangeable knives of'different lengths may be employed, The stud b is preferably of proper length to. serve as a stop to limit the downward movement of the lever F in cutting the button-holes.

The throat-plate G is fitted in dovetailed ways in the plate B, so that it may be readily removed when desired. I is a sliding latch,

the inner end of which enters a notch in the side of the throatplate to secure the latter in place. That portion of the throat-plate in which is formed the slot 5/ for the entrance of the cutter or knife f is raised slightly above the body of the said plate, so that the fabric to be cut will be drawn tightly across the said raised or supporting portion to facilitate the cutting operation and insure a smooth severance ofthe fabric. This result is due to the fact that the raised portion of the throat-plate comes within the opening, of the upper jaw of the clamp when the button-hole is finished and the clam; is in position for the cutting operation, so that the said jaw spans the said raised portion, and thus presses on the fabric on opposite sides of the place where the slit is to be made, and thus the fabric to be cut is drawn tight, as above stated.

As is well known to those skilled in the art to which my invention relates, itis customary to cut what is known as straight machinemade button-holes (or button-holes having no eye or eyelet) after the stitching to work the button-holes has been completed, and when in the operation of the device herein shown the stitching of a button-hole is finished the workelamp will be in the forward position, (shown in Figs. 1 and 2,) with the work beneath the cutter or knife f, so that the operator, by simply pressing on the lever F before removing the work from the clamp, will force the said knife downward and cut the button-hole.

As the Imifeearrying lever F is connected with the plate 13, by which the clamp is guided, it will of course follow the lateral movements of the said plate, so that it will always be in proper alignment with the center ofthe button-hole, (or, more properly, the center of the stitching for the same,) and will also retain its proper position relative to the cutting-slot g of the throat-plate G, the latter being carried by and thus moving laterally with the plate B.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. 'lhecombination,with abutton-hole workclamp and a laterally-movable carryingplate in or on which the said clamp isg'uidedlengthwise of a button-hole independently of the movements of said plate, of a slotted throatplate and a cutter carrying lever, both of which are laterally movable with the said carrying-plate, substantially as set forth.

2. The combinatiomwith abutton-holeworkclamp, a movable carrying-plate in which the said clamp is adapted to be fed lengthwise of a button-hole independently ofthe movements of the said plate, and aslotted throat'plateremovably attached to said carrying-plate, of a cutter-carrying lever connected to and thus movable with the said carrying plate, substantially as set forth.

3. The COlllblllflhlOll, with a laterally-movable carrying-plate and a button-hole workclamp movable lengthwise of a button-hole independently of said plate, of a slotted throatplate and a bracket, both of which are movable with said carrying-plate, and a cutter-carrying lever hinged to said bracket, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, with a laterally-movable carrying'platc and a button-hole workelamp movable lengthwise of a button'hole independently ofsaid plate, of a. slotted throatplate and a cutter carrying lever, both of which are movable with said carrying-plate, a spring for lifting said lever, and stops for limiting the upward and downward movements thereof, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination of the carryingplate, the removable throat-platehavingaside notch, and the sliding latch for securing the said throat-plate in place, substantially as set forth.

(i. The combination, with the work-clamp, the button-hole knife or cutter and its carrying device, of the throatplate having a raised or supporting portion to be spanned by the upper jaw of the said clamp and provided with a slot for the reception of the said cutter, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination, with a carrying-plate and aworkelamp movable lengthwise of a button-hole independently of said plate, ofa slotted throat plate, a V-shaped or centrallypointed cntting-luiife, and a carrier for the latter, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereofI al'lix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN DOUG LAS.

\Vitnesses:

PHILIP DIEIIL, J. G. GREENE. 

